Utilizing the NHANES I data (1971-1975), persons with visual and hearing impairment were divided into several levels of impairment. The NHANES Follow-up Study (1982-1984) was used to determine the specific outcomes. Specific variables considered included the number of hospitalizations between 1971 and 1984, the number and types of associated diagnoses both medical and psychiatric, and the individual's functional level. The focus of this investigation was to describe the course and prognosis associated with visual and hearing impairment and to identify populations at increased risk for deterioration in their functional level.